Toronto commuters know traffic and public transit delays all too well. Cycling can be an efficient, healthy, and convenient way to get around the city. It can be faster than walking, sitting in traffic, or dealing with transit delays and it’s an excellent aerobic exercise for adults different ages and skill levels. As a Toronto cyclist myself, I know that many of my fellow cyclists are worried about their bikes being stolen. We hear about bike thefts all the time and we’re all familiar with the narrative that bikes are more likely to be stolen downtown. Is your bike really more likely to get stolen in downtown, or is the higher number of bike thefts downtown simply due to higher cyclist volume? And what should you be doing to keep your bike from being stolen?

What you really need to know about bike thefts in downtown Toronto

Yes, the highest concentration of bike thefts in 2023 is in and around the downtown core. No, this does not mean your bike is more likely to get stolen downtown. Hover over and click on the maps below to see which Toronto neighbourhoods had the most bike thefts in 2023 and which Toronto neighbourhoods have the most high-capacity outdoor bike parking facilities.

If we use high-capacity bike parking locations to measure cyclist volume, we will the Toronto neighbourhoods with the most bike thefts in 2023 are just the ones with the most cyclists and unattended bikes.

When we compare the locations of reported bike thefts from 2023 to high-capacity bike parking locations, we see two very similar maps. Data about the number of cyclists and unattended bikes in each Toronto neighbourhoods is not readily available, so I have used the locations of City-owned high-capacity outdoor bike parking facilities to get an idea of which neighbourhoods have more cyclists, and therefore more unattended bikes. This reveals an important insight about bike theft risks in Toronto: your bike is not necessarily more likely to be stolen in downtown.

The downtown neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of reported bike thefts in 2023 are the neighbourhoods with the most high-capacity bike parking locations. If you hover over the map that shows the locations of bike thefts reported in 2023, Yonge-Bay Corridor, Downtown Yonge-East, University, Annex, Wellington East, and Moss Park are some of the neighbourhoods that had the most bike thefts. But if you hover over the map that shows the locations of high-capacity outdoor bike parking in Toronto, you will see that these same neighbourhoods have the most high-capacity bike parking facilities. Yes, a lot of the bike thefts reported in 2023 are concentrated in downtown neighbourhoods. But a lot of unattended bikes are also concentrated in downtown neighbourhoods. Bike thieves have more success in these neighbourhoods simply because they present more opportunities for them.

North York, near Yonge and Finch, saw a high concentration of bike thefts in 2023. The bike thefts in this area are not as high as in downtown, but this might be concerning because there are no high-capacity bike parking facilities in this area. This indicates that cyclists who live in Yonge-Doris, East Willowdale, or Newtonbrook West may be at a higher risk of having their bikes stolen because these neighbourhoods saw more bike thefts in 2023 than other neighbourhoods with no high-capacity bike parking facilities. This is a limited observation because high-capacity bike parking location data is not be an exact representation of cyclist volume and the number of unattended bikes in an area. It is unclear how cyclist volume in Yonge-Doris, East Willowdale, and Newtonbrook West compares to other neighbourhoods without high-capacity bike parking facilities.

Data-driven tips for Toronto cyclists

Even though bike thefts in Toronto are not increasing, the recovery rate for stolen bikes is alarmingly low, with less than 1% of bikes stolen since 2021 found. My analysis found that more bike thefts happen in downtown neighbourhoods due to higher cyclist volume higher numbers of unattended bikes. Prevention is key, so here are some things every Toronto cyclist should know in order to protect their bikes and give thefts fewer opportunities:

As a Toronto cyclist and student, I feel reassured to know that bike thefts in the city are not increasing. The data did not reveal anything surprising about bike theft trends or prevention. Locking your bike, storing it indoors, and using secure bike parking facilities whenever possible are still the best ways to protect your bike from thieves no matter where in Toronto you live and bike.